Name: Britain hasn't had a pro-liberty PM since Thatcher resigned 30 years ago
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Britain hasn't had a pro-liberty PM since Thatcher resigned 30 years ago

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It is 30 years since the fabled men in grey suits filed in one by one. Their purpose was to oust . Mrs Thatcher, then sitting on an 102-seat majority, having won three general elections in a row, would later describe her cabinet’s actions as “treachery with a smile on its face”.&nbsp;To her supporters, this was treason; a coup by the Party’s europhile wing which had always loathed her. To her detractors, it was a necessary power-grab from a domineering, out-of-touch premier. Yet Conservatives had struggled in elections since Macmillan, and Mrs Thatcher remained popular with Tory voters. This time history was written less by the victors than .&nbsp;Like Mary Queen of Scots, who wore a blood-red bodice symbolising Catholic martyrdom on the scaffold, Thatcher managed her Commons swansong magnificently, delivering an astonishing performance the following day. Immaculate in her favourite satin-trimmed royal blue suit, she showed up Neil Kinnock as long-winded and graceless. Asked whether she would still oppose a European central bank, Dennis Skinner’s heckle convulsed the House: "No, she's going to be the Guv'nor!"“I’m enjoying this”, beamed Thatcher as her backbenchers roared approvingly. Her best zinger came off the cuff to a young Simon Hughes “He would rather the poor were poorer, provided the rich were less rich.” But another lesser-known line fully captures her philosophy. “Labour's policies are a vote of no confidence in the ability of British people to manage their own affairs. We have that confidence. Confidence in freedom and confidence in enterprise. That is what divides Conservatives from socialists.”&nbsp;Thatcher’s great achievements hinged on this overarching set of principles; a clear moral sense and uncompromising love of freedom. These inspired her during the Falklands, and drove her efforts to , ultimately ending the Cold War. Her departure left an intellectual void in Conservatism which has never been filled.&nbsp;David Cameron struggled manfully within a coalition Government. Though his Big Society was a brilliant, classically Tory idea; resurrecting Burke’s "little platoons", it was badly managed and soon discarded. He even offered an updated version of Thatcher’s misleadingly truncated maxim, “There is no such thing as society”. Interestingly, when Thatcher’s words are seen in full context, Cameron’s riposte “There is such a thing as a society; it’s just not the same thing as the state” emerges as almost identical.&nbsp;Since Boris Johnson’s barnstorming victory last year, the lack of a comparable coordinated philosophy has become still clearer. Commendable aims, such as reducing obesity, are invariably framed as the responsibility of the state. The PM who once railed against Tony Blair’s “lust for interfering with our day-to-day lives” has found time to impose sweeping bans on food advertising, while preventing people from going to gym or playing even the most socially-distanced sports.Many forget that Mrs Thatcher was one of , taking seriously the threat of climate change. Yet our Government’s response to this threat seems as high-handed as their obesity strategy; preventing drivers from buying the vehicles they want, for instance, through ruinous bans on petrol and diesel cars. Their broader vision is an unsettling mix of pie-in-the-sky infrastructure projects and an amorphous social justice agenda –&nbsp;travel by HS2 to save the dolphins from the gender pay gap. Nowhere is this vacuity clearer than in their choice of slogan: “Build Back Better”, the lodestar of technocratic governments everywhere.&nbsp;Their virus response reveals an equally profound philosophical difference.&nbsp;No one envies the politicians making decisions amid a global catastrophe; but they now appear both detached from the real world and drunk with power. Last week, Matt Hancock, the&nbsp;Health Secretary, implied that, even if "allowed"&nbsp;to , families could still be banned from hugging one another. This is not just unenforceable and immoral –&nbsp;it betrays a hubristic grasp of their remit.&nbsp;As Mrs Thatcher knew, Conservatives are fundamentally optimistic about human nature – treat people like adults, give them the facts and they will behave responsibly. The Left takes the opposite view; convinced that only state micromanagement can prevent national meltdown. The Tories have lost their way and sorely need a reboot. They should start by recapturing faith in the individual.&nbsp;Related TopicsThe Telegraph values your comments but kindly requests all posts are on topic, constructive and respectful. Please review our.You need to be a subscriber to join the conversation. Find out more.Show commentsAdvertisementRelated TopicsWe rely on advertising to help fund our award-winning journalism.We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future.Thank you for your support.Need help?Visit ourpage.Close

It is 30 years since the fabled men in grey suits filed in one by one. Their purpose was to oust . Mrs Thatcher, then sitting on an 102-seat majority, having won three general elections in a row, would later describe her cabinet’s actions as “treachery with a smile on its face”.&nbsp;To her supporters, this was treason; a coup by the Party’s europhile wing which had always loathed her. To her detractors, it was a necessary power-grab from a domineering, out-of-touch premier. Yet Conservatives had struggled in elections since Macmillan, and Mrs Thatcher remained popular with Tory voters....

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Madeline Grant

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Britain hasn't had a pro-liberty PM since Thatcher resigned 30 years ago

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